Hi everyone. A few hold-outs (the 11s and LOI 18a) prevented this from being a super-quick one, but I was still pretty zippy by my standards. Whether your solve progressed along similar lines may depend on how you like anagrams: there are only a couple here. I’m this* at anagrams so they tend to slow me down, but if you found yourself inexplicably struggling today that might be the explication.
14a and 20a inspired the message in the blog title. I’m not the kind of kitty who catches birds or anything else. I’m more likely to be buttering up the 22a cook in hope of a coffee or prowling the 7d passage in hope of something stronger. I was impressed by some great surfaces here, very neatly constructed. A big 1a and thanks to Joker!
Definitions are underlined in the clues below. In the explanations, most quoted indicators are in italics, specified [deletions] are in square brackets, and I’ve capitalised and emboldened letters which appear in the ANSWER. For clarity, I omit most link words and some juxtaposition indicators.
| Across | |
| 1a | Round of applause for worker (4) |
| HAND — Two definitions | |
| 4a | Very great deprivation when cutting fuel (8) |
| COLOSSAL — LOSS (deprivation) when going into (cutting) COAL (fuel) | |
| 8a | Tons following great British author, one married twice (8) |
| BIGAMIST — T (tons) after (following) BIG (great) and AMIS (British author – either Martin or Kingsley will do) | |
| 9a | No more than fair (4) |
| JUST — Double definition | |
| 10a | Copy after gent’s beginning to yawn (4) |
| GAPE — APE (copy) after Gent’s first letter (beginning) | |
| 11a | Make merry getting fifty on merry-go-round (8) |
| CAROUSEL — CAROUSE (make merry) with the addition of L (fifty) (getting fifty on) | |
| 12a | Distressed brides scattered remains (6) |
| DEBRIS — An anagram of (distressed) BRIDES | |
| 14a | Bird left in trap (6) |
| LINNET — L (left) + IN + NET (trap) | |
| 16a | Limit a conurbation’s ability to house people? (8) |
| CAPACITY — CAP (limit) + A + CITY (conurbation) | |
| 18a | Mountain, say, separated from sierra (4) |
| PEAK — [s]PEAK (say) without (separated from) S (sierra) | |
| 19a | What’s reported to be total dump (4) |
| HOLE — This sounds like (what’s reported to be) WHOLE (total) | |
| 20a | One killing animal — a small offence (8) |
| ASSASSIN — ASS (animal) + A + S (small) + SIN (offence) | |
| 22a | Buttering up cook carrying coffee (8) |
| FLATTERY — FRY (cook) holding (carrying) LATTE (coffee) | |
| 23a | Army vehicle’s to fail completely (4) |
| TANK — Two definitions, the second slang | |
| Down | |
| 2d | Give inspiration to a friend from Belfast region? (7) |
| ANIMATE — A NI (Northern Ireland) MATE (a friend from Belfast region?) | |
| 3d | Duck duties requiring a keen enthusiasm to begin with (5) |
| DRAKE — Initial letters of (… to begin with) Duties Requiring A Keen Enthusiasm | |
| 4d | Charlie greeting a character from Athens (3) |
| CHI — C (Charlie) + HI (greeting) | |
| 5d | Capacity for Americans to join together precisely (9) |
| LITERALLY — LITER (capacity for Americans) + ALLY (to join together) | |
| 6d | Temporary stay during Thurso journey (7) |
| SOJOURN — The answer is found in (during) ThurSO JOURNey | |
| 7d | Is ale brewed in passage? (5) |
| AISLE — IS ALE anagrammed (brewed) | |
| 11d | Character I confine to college as reprimand (9) |
| CASTIGATE — CAST (character) + I + GATE (confine to college) | |
| 13d | Chemical substance is concerning spy (7) |
| REAGENT — RE (concerning) + AGENT (spy) | |
| 15d | Number one story lifting high spirits (7) |
| ELATION — NO (number) I (one) TALE (story) all reversed (lifting) | |
| 17d | A fee for passing island (5) |
| ATOLL — A + TOLL (fee for passing) | |
| 18d | Put forward idea initially in correspondence (5) |
| POSIT — The first letter of (… initially) Idea in POST (correspondence) | |
| 21d | Retiring in quiet year (3) |
| SHY — SH (quiet) + Y (year) | |
18 mins…
After a couple of difficult days, a decent start to the week. Main hold up was 16ac “Capacity”, where I had the last 5 letters, but wasn’t sure about the 1st and 3rd letters about the “a”. For a while, I had “Baracity” which I’m not even sure is a word.
FOI – 1ac “Hand”
LOI – 8ac “Bigamist”
COD – 5dn “Literally”
Thanks as usual!
Struggled badly on biggie, my mood not being helped by failing to get 2 clues which the blogger felt were more appropriate for the QC. Good job I have no confidence left to dent. ☹️
Great crossword this week! I always appreciate the clever clues and the humor infused throughout. It’s always a fun challenge. Thanks, Joker, for keeping us entertained and our brains engaged! Looking forward to the next one!